Wedding Jitters
by skimmonsfiction
Summary: Jemma is the daughter of a wealthy Baron who has recently come into some financial trouble and needs the money from his daughter's dowry to keep the estate running. Her suitor? Grant Ward, Duke of Lancaster, and not a very particular kindly man. Jemma, however, has the heart for another and is experiencing something a little bit more wild than pre-wedding jitters.
1. Chapter 1

**a/n: So, this is a new story I'm cowriting with my bestie,** **happypugfics** **on tumblr. I'm really excited to share it with you guys! If you like it, go head on over and follow her too! Also, a thank-you belongs to ironbunneh from Tumblr for creating the fantastic cover art.**

Jemma grew up in a fairly stable home. Her father owned a moderately large farm and enough servants to work it. Their income was just enough to make ends meet, keep their estate functioning properly, and maintain her father's title as a baron.

It wasn't just her family's moderate wealth that kept her comfortable, she had a kind kin as well. Her father, Phil Coulson, respected her as much as she respected him, which was not as common as she would like to think. Fitz was the name of her brother, who was less than a year her senior. He was gentle, smart, and kind, very unlike their cousins.

Jemma didn't grow up with a motherly figure–her mother passed away before she could remember. She'd never known her face, her voice, or her touch, so she didn't feel as if she was missing anything. Her father was enough for her. He remarried just a few years ago, but she didn't get along very well with her seemingly cold stepmother. They didn't clash, but they didn't communicate much, either. They mostly let each other be.

Not having anyone around to teach her manners until her stepmother showed up, Jemma spent most of her childhood playing outside with Fitz and Skye, a servant her father acquired when he found her stealing food at the market at a young age. The other girl grew up as one of their servants and Jemma thought of her as her oldest friend and playmate.

When they were young children, they would play hide and seek in the corn fields just before harvest season, when the stalks were so tall they almost blocked the sun. During the hottest, driest time of year, when the sun was blistering hot, the three of them would travel down to the stream and go for long swims. They enjoyed this until they were too old for it to be acceptable for her brother to be seeing them in their undergarments. It took a lot of convincing from Skye, but they continued to go swimming in secret. Until they didn't.

It wasn't that they didn't still enjoy it, they absolutely did, it was that it wouldn't be suitable for anyone to be seeing Jemma in anything less than a full corset and gown, especially once she had been betrothed. Due to a crop failure last season, the baron's manor was struggling to scrape by, even more so than usual, and at the ripe age of 15 Jemma was a prime candidate for marriage. With the family's title, they could easily secure her a wealthy, well-to-do husband who would be able to pay a great sum for their daughter's dowry. The money would help the manor make ends meet and the new relation would strengthen business, enabling them to sell their goods on both sides of the Black Forest.

It was on the opposite side of this large, wild expanse of dangerous wilderness, that Jemma's future husband lived. Word had been received not but a few days past, heralding his arrival within the week to come and meet his new young bride. The man was of stern face and even sterner disposition and had an unhealthy reputation across the land, though his deep pockets kept the rumors quiet. Not every ear was silenced however, and it was now that Skye found herself in a minor outrage over how a girl as sweet as Jemma could ever be forced to marry such a terrible man as Grant Ward, Duke of Lancaster. He had been long without a wife, but that did not grant him the right to just purchase whatever maiden he saw fit.

It was late in the evening, the afternoon sun lazily casting light over the countryside. The horses had been provided with grain, fodder, and the water troughs thoroughly cleaned. Skye had skirted around some of the cleaning, but what she didn't do now she could easily finish in the morning, since she had to do it all over again anyway.

It was now she found herself sneaking through the back door and into the store rooms of the manor, snatching two apples on her way out and into the kitchen. The gossip in the kitchen was even worse than it had been outside among the workers in the garden, and it made the brunette grit her teeth. She was going to have a few words with her dear friend about her present situation.

She snuck easily from the kitchen and up the stairs, slipping through a large wooden door and into a stone hallway. Skye had managed to somehow come out with not only the two apples, but also a couple cookies, a small sweet danish, and a slice of bread. She knew that Jemma could often read the day away without any thought to her well being and it was often that she brought snacks for the girl up to her study. Today was such a day.

By the time Skye had made her way to the second floor and around the corner to knock on the thick, oak door, half an apple and the slice of bread were gone, lost to her own stomach. Being a stable hand was not easy work.

"Jems, it's me, open up before someone sees and you don't get any of these sweets I have for you," Skye spoke hastily through the door. If she were caught, she would be thrown back outside and she would have to sneak all the way back here again. A waste of her good time, if she thought so herself.

Jemma heard Skye's voice from inside, muffled by the barrier between them, but she wasn't so sure she had the heart to answer tonight. She'd just received news that her future husband would be arriving within the week to take her away, and she wasn't excited to inform her friend of her impending departure.

Skye's persistent knocking caused a sigh to escape her lips as she drew her book away from her face and placed it pages down on the desk. Chair legs scraped against the floor when she stood up and Skye stumbled into the room as soon as Jemma opened the door, she'd obviously been leaning against it, eagerly awaiting her reply.

"What's wrong?" The first words out of Skye's mouth when they met eyes questioned her dejected facial expression.

"Nothing you need to trouble your mind with. Come, sit." Jemma forced a smile and gestured to the second chair near her own. She already knew Skye wouldn't buy her little act for a second, but she tried anyway. Skye dumped her edible offerings on the table despite the annoyed look Jemma lightly tossed her way, begging her to be careful about getting crumbs on her books.

"This is about Grant Ward, isn't it?" Skye asked. Somehow, the stable girl was able to read Jemma just as easily as Jemma read her literature. Her nose scrunched up with disgust when she said the name, like the very idea of him repulsed her. Quite honestly, Jemma felt the same way, but she was willing to have an open mind and try to like Grant. She was going to have to spend the rest of her life with this man, she should at least give him a chance.

"That's not it, I'm just a little tired. I haven't been getting much sleep lately." It wasn't entirely a lie, her mind was buzzing with thoughts each night, thoughts that prevented her from getting any kind of rest. She knew these were some of the last few nights she'd be sleeping in her own bed, in her own home.

"Well maybe if you read less and slept more you would get better sleep," Skye interjected with a grin, taking the seat that Jemma had offered her. "I'm also going to eat this danish if you don't, so sit down and talk to me." She motioned towards the seat, hoping that Jemma would sit. She could tell that the girl was hiding something, and honestly, she knew what it was. Skye only hoped that it wasn't true. The gossip wouldn't be real if Jemma didn't say it herself.

"Go ahead and have at it." Jemma sighed and smoothed out a few wrinkles on her skirt before gently lowering herself back into her chair. She'd actually managed to take care of herself today, so she wasn't as hungry as she would have been if she'd skipped lunch. "Truth be told, I have been more than a little stressed as of late." Jemma folded her hands in her lap and couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with Skye. It was too painful and she wouldn't be able to stand the look on the other girl's face when she told her the truth.

"Suit yourself," The brunette sighed and snatched up the danish, perhaps a little too hastily. She was tired from the day's work, as well as from being a growing girl. She needed the energy, though perhaps she should get it by eating actual meals instead of stolen sweets. Skye took a bite, careful not to get crumbs everywhere. She knew Jemma couldn't stand it when she made a mess. It was a wonder they were even friends. Skye was quite the messy person, with working in the stables and all.

"Just tell me why you're stressed," Skye urged gently. She took notice that the girl wasn't looking at her. She felt a rising knot in her stomach that the gossip might be right.

"I'm sure you've heard the rumors." Jemma muttered quietly, fumbling with her book, flipping through a few pages she'd clearly already read. Saying it made it true, and the reality of the situation scared Jemma more than she ever thought it could. She'd grown up knowing that she'd have to marry someone of her father's choice eventually, she just didn't expect the time to creep up on her so slyly. She feared moving so far from home, so much so that it made her physically sick to her stomach. She wouldn't know anyone, and worst of all, Skye wouldn't be there. Skye was just as much a permanent part of her life as her father and brother were. Any kind of life without her would be dull.

Skye had to keep herself from gritting her teeth together. Not that Jemma was watching. She wouldn't see her jaw clench or swallow hard as bile made its way up her throat.

"So…it is about Ward," she breathed. The knot in her stomach got tighter, but she chose to ignore it. This wasn't about her. It was about Jemma, and right now, Jemma needed her.  
"Go ahead. You look like a sad little duck just sitting there, so spill," Skye coaxed, sitting back in the chair, fumbling with her danish as she ate it to keep herself distracted. Too many sweets. Maybe that's why she felt sick.

Jemma tried to think of some way to delay the inevitable, but she couldn't lie to Skye. If it were the other way around, she would have wanted more notice than she was giving the brunette.

"Ward will be here within the week. He'll be staying for a few days, and then I'm leaving with him." Jemma blurted out. There was no way to sugarcoat it, no matter how much Skye deserved a nice, thick layer of it. They were both going to be hurting when they had to say goodbye, and it was probably going to be worse for Skye. Jemma could make friends, but Skye wasn't so great at it. She would never say it, but Jemma was pretty sure she was the only person in the world Skye enjoyed being around.

This time Skye did grit her teeth, and her eyes darted to the floor. Right, of course. Of course the rumors were true. The entire estate wouldn't be talking about it if it wasn't. Her saying it made it real, and that meant that at the end of the week, Jemma would be leaving with him, gone forever to the other side of the wilds.  
"Thats…" She searched desperately for a word that wasn't negative. Some form of encouragement for Jemma that would help her get through the week. She couldn't find one.  
"Awful, that's awful," Skye settled on and dead panned, raising her eyes to look at Jemma again, "Why would your father choose him? The only reason he is rich is because he had all of his competitors killed off so that the people could only buy goods from him! You know that! He knows that! Your father knows that!" Skye shut her mouth then. She had risen from the chair at some point, gripping the armrests, before she slowly let them go, crossing her arms over her chest.  
"Sorry…" She wasn't.

"Skye, don't." Tears were gathering in Jemma's eyes. She knew everything coming out of Skye's mouth was true, she even agreed with her.

"I don't have a choice in the matter," She stood abruptly and paced a few steps before grabbing the novel she had been reading and clutching it to her chest. "and you don't have a say. It's not your place." Jemma spit out the words. She'd never, ever treated Skye like a servant before, but she'd rather have the stable girl hate her when she left, it would make it easier. The two of them had been friends for years, but never before had Jemma seen the expression on Skye's face. Her jaw was slack, slightly hanging open, and something fierce shone in her eyes.

Skye had expected a lot of things before sneaking into the study. She had suspected Jemma would be upset, hence the snacks and sweets. She had expected Jemma to skirt around the subject, hence coaxing it out of her. She had expected the news to be true, but that didn't mean she liked it. What she hadn't expected was for Jemma to snap at her. In all their time together Jemma had never treated her like a servant, and it hurt her, that during such an important conversation, she would resort to doing so.

Tears were on the verge of spilling over in her own eyes, but she was too proud to let the noble girl see. So she snapped too.  
"Pardon me, Lady Jemma. I forget my place," Skye clenched her jaw again. It seemed to be the theme for the evening. She shoved her fists into her pockets and fled the room, leaving the snacks on the table and slamming the door behind her. She didn't care if she was found in the house. She was leaving it anyway. It was clear no one wanted her there. At least the horses had manners.

Skye would never know about it, but as soon as she stormed out of the room, Jemma collapsed back into her chair while the echo of the slammed door bounced off the stone walls and Skye's hurtful words stung in her heart like a long-lasting poison. She knew she caused them herself, but it didn't make it any less painful.

A sob escaped her lungs, and she pressed a hand against her stomach. Corsets were not designed for crying; she could hardly breathe. She wasn't supposed to cry, not over Skye. Her chest heaved up and down and she struggled with every breath until she managed to calm down. She could bottle it up, she could wait to cry. She had to. If she couldn't stop herself now, she didn't think she'd ever be able to.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been two days since the incident in the study and Skye seemed neither inclined nor bothered enough to want to speak to Jemma about it. In her mind, Jemma had made it rather clear that she was just a servant. That's what it boiled down too. They could be friends all they wanted, but at the end of the day, Skye was still property. She was not the same as Jemma.

She had avoided her like the plague, and in doing so hadn't bothered to notice if Jemma was giving her the same treatment. She kept herself busy in the stables: collecting hay, crushing grain, washing and filling the water, washing the horses, brushing the horses, cleaning the stalls over and over and over again.

On this particular day she had decided to work a rather fat steed who hadn't been pulling his weight around the estate. In fact, he hadn't been pulling anything in quite a while, not even a cart. He was well over due for a working, and Skye was going to give it to him. She led the animal to the spare field in the back, away from the hustle and bustle of the manor and set him to a trot around in a large circle. She directed him with a lunge whip, steadily making him pick up in speed, occasionally switching directions.

She was getting her own work out, her arms up holding the lead rope and the whip, spinning around continuously directing the beast. Her hair was up and back, out of her face. It wouldn't do well to miss such a large animal misstep and go tumbling into you. Her high riding boots were dusty, as well as the rest of her, dirty from the previous chores she had already done. Skye was used to it, as the task at hand kept her mind off of more troubling matters.

From just far enough away for Skye not to notice, Jemma was watching her with interest out the window of her chamber. She wasn't spying, Skye just happened to be working in the field just outside.

For once, Jemma didn't feel like reading. In all her years, she'd never gone this long without talking to her best friend, and it was killing her. How was she supposed to survive a lifetime on the other side of the Black Forest when she couldn't even stand two days at home?

With a sigh, Jemma put her chin into her palm and leant against the stone window sill on one elbow. The air was dry and hot today, if they had still been young, they would have been down at the river by now. Jemma's hair was sticking to her forehead in several places, and even from far away, she could tell Skye's was as well. Somehow, her friend managed to make dirty and sweaty seem appealing. Skye managed to make a lot seem appealing.

Jemma was so focused on watching the way Skye's arms moved gracefully as she directed the horse that she didn't seem to notice anything else. She had a bad case of tunnel vision.

"Sis!" It wasn't Fitz's voice that finally caught her attention, but the shaking she felt on her shoulder. Jemma blinked several times to clear the last images of Skye from the back of her eyelids and looked in her brother's direction.

"It was my belief that you two were fighting, so I wonder why it is that you stare at her like that." Fitz smiled, almost knowingly, and heat flushed to Jemma's cheeks and the tips of her ears, as if the sun's warmth wasn't already enough.

"Staring? Me?" Jemma scoffed, moving to the bed and sitting down, patting beside her to invite her brother to join her.

"I was merely observing Skye's training techniques." Jemma babbled, glancing at the window to see if her childhood friend was still within her sight.

"Sure, and I'm the king." Fitz teased. No one knew Jemma like Skye did, but Fitz came in as a pretty close second. He could see straight through all her nonsense.

"Was there a point to this conversation, or have you come only to make me feel worse?" Jemma finally said, glaring at him a little bit, but not enough to scare him off.

"What's going on with you two?" He asked her eagerly, taking a seat next to his sibling. Jemma needed to tell someone what was going on, if she didn't, it might just eat her alive. She couldn't tell Skye, or it would defeat the whole purpose of her mind game. She couldn't tell her father, she didn't want him to feel even more guilty about this situation than he already was. May was completely out of the question, she'd never even come close to talking about anything personal with her stepmother. Fitz was the only person she had to tell.

"I have to leave, I'm never going to see her again. I had a chance to make it easier for her to let me go, and I took it..." She said, her voice laced with sorrow. Jemma wished she could have just one more happy moment with Skye like she used to, but she couldn't. If she was going to cut the other girl out of her life, she was going to have to do it completely. Mixed signals were not something she enjoyed giving.

"I'm sorry," Fitz put a gentle hand on her shoulder. The room was silent for a few seconds, and neither of them had anything to say to each other, which was a first.

"I wish we had more time to talk, but father wanted me to find you and send you to him. He wishes to speak with you, and I think you know what about." Fitz said apologetically. Jemma nodded wordlessly and exited her own room, her stomach already filling with dread.

By curiosity alone, Fitz stood up and looked out his sister's window, just to see what Jemma was looking at. Skye seemed to be in the same mood as his little sister, and he could tell by how exhausted she looked that she'd been overworking again, like she always did when she was upset. Maybe he could help her out a little bit. They used to be good friends, after all. If Jemma was leaving, he was all Skye was going to have.

* * *

Both Skye and the horse were sweating, working out in the sticky heat. The dust he kicked up entering her lungs didn't make it any better either. He would need a bath. They both would.

She had given the steed a moments rest before directing him closer with the lead rope. He got a rub along the muzzle before she looped the other end of the rope through his halter and tied it off. Skye gave him a scratch on the withers before she grabbed a fist full of his mane and vaulted herself up onto the beast's back with ease. Experience was her friend in this manner. She remembered Jemma had laughed at her the first time she had tried to mount bareback. She had fallen flat on her back into the mud. This was no longer the case.

Skye grabbed the rope back up, having turned it into reigns and directed the horse to turn and set off at a canter. She would give him a few laps around the field at full speed, before taking him back to the stable to clean him off.

Two laps later at full gallop and both were sweating even more than before. Skye slid off the wet animal's back and to the ground, untying the lead rope and gathering the slack up in her hands to lead him back to the stables.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Fitz sauntered up to her, a concerned look plastered across his face. He didn't like seeing his sister or his friend upset, so it was twice as bad when both of them were nowhere near happy.

"Are you alright?" He asked her. He didn't need to elaborate, it wasn't as if Skye wouldn't know exactly what he was talking about.

"I'm fine, Fitz. Just tired, doing the servant's duty and all," Skye mumbled, nodding to him to acknowledge his presence. She led the chocolate colored steed on over the cracked, dusty earth. It was clear she was upset, and just as deflecting as his sister could be.

"You sound like Jemma, except for that last bit." He commented awkwardly.

"Yeah, except for that last bit. She made it rather clear, I think," Skye interjected.

"You don't seriously believe that, do you?" Fitz asked her. Jemma hadn't specifically told him not to tell Skye what she was doing, so technically he wasn't doing anything wrong… He wasn't even going to tell her directly, just give her a good nudge in the right direction. And by nudge, he meant forceful push.

Skye scoffed. Fitz was a good friend, but he could be a little dense...or so she thought. He hadn't been in that room. He hadn't heard what Jemma had said.

"Your sister spoke her mind. It wasn't a lie, I would have noticed. She's a terrible liar…" Skye sighed and stopped walking, trying to look anywhere but at Fitz. The steed gave a grunt of disatisfaction, which spurred the girl to continue.  
"The worst part is, she's right. It's none of my business. I was stupid to think I had an opinion...that I had…" Had what? A say? How naive was she? Skye sighed heavily then, a dejected look crossing her face, "She made it clear, okay, Fitz?"

Fitz increased his pace to keep up with Skye's long strides, the ones that expressed how much she obviously wanted the conversation to be over. He wasn't through yet, though. He wouldn't let the bullheadedness of his two best friends keep them from getting a proper goodbye because they were fighting over something that wasn't even real.

"Just listen for a minute and consider this," Fitz followed Skye through the barn like a pest. Eventually, they reached the empty stall waiting for the horse and they had to stop. "When has Jemma ever, _ever_ , done something like that? You know it's completely unlike her, and she's nothing if not consistent." Fitz pointed out. Skye opened her mouth to object, because clearly this wasn't good enough evidence, but he wasn't done.

"You haven't been in the house for a while, so you wouldn't have noticed, but she hasn't even touched a book for two days. That's saying something. She was acting all weird and squirmy whenever you came up in a conversation and I caught her ogling you while you were out there working." Fitz rambled, trying to come up with anything that would convince Skye that Jemma didn't really mean whatever she'd said to upset her.

"Yeah, I haven't been in the house because she doesn't want me-wait," Skye stopped brushing down the horse, preparing him for his bath and turned flush to face Fitz. "She was ogling?" Why would Jemma even be watching her? There wasn't much to watch. She had seen it all before.  
"She's...she's not actually mad, is she? She's just upset about this whole Ward thing." Skye emitted an aggravating sound and threw the brush down the ground. It startled the horse so that she had to grab quickly for his face to calm him down.

"I'm such an idiot…" She wanted to smack herself in the face, but almost getting her foot stepped on was sufficient. Skye couldn't tell if her face was hot from her workout or if it was because she was embarrassed or both. She hoped Fitz would think the former instead of the latter. Though if Jemma was ogling her…her heart swelled for a moment. But only a short one.

"Go talk to her. You don't know how much time you have left before-" They were interrupted by the clattering of an approaching carriage and the clomping of several horses. Men's voices reached their ears and Fitz began to panic.

Skye's hands dropped from the horses face.  
"No."

"I have to go." Fitz told Skye in a rush, hurrying off towards the estate. As part of the noble family, he had to be there to greet their new guest.

She quickly maneuvered around the large animal and through the gate, shutting it behind her to keep the horse inside as she sprinted to the doors of the barn.  
"No, no, no."

She was met with the sight of several black speckled horses, four of them, and a large black painted carriage, lined with decorations of a many headed beast. It looked like a dragon. Skye fell against the side of the stable doors as the footman got down from his perch and moved around the carriage to open the door.  
 _He's early. He's too early._ Her knuckles were white from gripping the door as a tall, well built man stepped from the carriage. His shoes were black and shiny, untouched by the dust of the hot, dry day. The rest of him was similar, all done up in a dark suit and a clean shaven face with a head of dark hair. She didn't have to hear his name. Skye knew who it was and she felt her anger towards him already seething inside, ready to boil over. She was too late to talk to Jemma. She would never get the chance. It was too late.  
"No warm welcome. How rude," the man mumbled to himself, and it made Skye's jaw clench. He brushed off his sleeves, looking distastefully at the dust and the small manor before him. His footman was at his side, luggage in hand.

"Don't bother, Bakshi. I'm sure they're at least well enough to have servants to do that sort of thing."

Fitz reappeared from inside the house with the rest of his family: Coulson, May, and Jemma. Jemma clasped her hands in front of her and held her head high, as May had instructed her. It showed confidence and pride, something Ward seemed to appreciate.

Just the sight of this man made Jemma's skin crawl, and she was glad her gown was long-sleeved, or Ward would have seen the goosebumps running up and down her arms. Coulson nodded to her, and she gave a small curtsy.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Duke." Jemma forced a small smile to cross her features and only stood up once Ward responded to her.

"Please, call me Grant." He grasped her hand more gently than Jemma thought was possible and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to rise. Everything about this man seemed off, and it terrified her. She felt like she was an animal on show, and that the rest of her life would be a constant game of pretend-I-like-you.

Skye would be lucky if she had any blood left in her hands. Her knuckles were snow white from grasping the edge of the barn door so hard she thought she might break it. Luckily the wood was stronger. It was stronger than a lot of things, like her stomach.

When Ward's lips collided with Jemma's knuckles, Skye felt the knot that had been in her stomach for the last two days rise. Her face paled, and when Jemma smiled at him, it was the last straw. Her hand flew to her mouth and she used the other to slam the barn door shut. She raced to the rear of the stables before she had to stop. Doubled over, in the pile of hay, she lost what little contents her lunch had consisted of. The pain of it made her throat burn and her eyes sting. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve when she had finished, only realizing that she had been crying when her arm came back wet.

 _It's too late. I'm too late. She's going to be stuck with that...with that..._ She couldn't bring herself to think it. She was a mess. She couldn't stand there and watch them together. Skye was out the back door and rushing through a side field back to the servants quarters before she could think twice.

Jemma felt like she was going to be sick. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Skye standing partially behind the barn door with wide eyes and a pale face. This is why she'd tried being nasty to her, so this wouldn't be as rough. It didn't seem as if it worked, though.

"Jemma, we're going inside." Her father had to nudge her shoulder to bring her back to their current situation, and May gave her a small glare. Less than five minutes in and she already had a count against her. As they entered the house and some of their other servants unloaded Ward's things, she glanced back over her shoulder and her heart fell. Skye had disappeared in an instant.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This chapter is pretty dark, sorry.**

 **Trigger Warning: Graphic depictions of violence**

Skye hadn't come to put away Ward's horses. Normally, this wouldn't be a huge deal and Jemma wouldn't be worried about her, but Ward was furious. Throughout all of the previous night, Ward had been complaining about this and that, pointless things no one should ever care about, like how soft the pillows were. When he brought up Skye at the breakfast table, however, it quickly went from a nuisance for Jemma to a completely horrible situation.

"Do you not have a stablehand? My own servants, who do not specialize in stable work, had to untack and put away my horses." He asked Coulson, downing a glass of milk in one drink. Coulson looked indecisive for a moment, but he didn't want to get caught in a lie when the contract for Jemma's marriage was not quite complete and still needed signatures.

"We do, but she appears to be missing at the moment." Coulson informed him. Jemma swallowed a lump in her throat and moved her breakfast around on her plate with her fork. She could feel the frustration radiating off of her fiance next to her and she realized just how much she was going to hate living with him.

"If you let your servants get away with something like this once, they'll do it again." Ward said sternly. Jemma did not like where this conversation was headed.

"She seemed sick the last time I saw her." Jemma added. May glared at her again and Jemma shut her mouth. _Do not speak unless spoken to._

"That doesn't matter. Servants are servants, and they're there for a reason." Ward argued.

"If you don't punish her, she'll never learn." Ward practically growled. Jemma clenched her fists under the table with so much force she was almost sure her nails had drawn blood. What right did he have to decide what happened to another person's servants? To Skye?

"It will be taken care of." Coulson stated. Jemma looked at him in shock. He loved Skye, what was he doing?!

Jemma was smart, she quickly began to understand what was going on. Coulson was willing to do anything to impress her suitor, even if it meant hurting someone else. Jemma glanced at the man beside her and she wished she could use the fork in front of her as a weapon instead of a utensil.

She had to warn Skye, but there was no way she'd be sneaking away with Ward practically breathing down her neck and May watching her behavior at all times. She sent a pleading look across the table to Fitz, who nodded subtly.

The morning meal had already been eaten and it was a common occurrence for both Fitz and Jemma to excuse themselves to the study. With Jemma being the bride-to-be and unable to leave, the eldest brother knew his duty.

"Excuse me father, might I be excused to go to the study? I have part of my lesson I need to finish before the tutor arrives," Fitz questioned, looking to Coulson and awaiting an answer. He hadn't noticed he was holding his breath until his father nodded in agreement.

"Yes, of course. You are excused, Fitz," Phil replied, watching as the tall lanky boy shot up from his seat and moved around the table to the entrance to the hallway.  
"Father," Fitz nodded his goodbye, "Duke," He nodded to him as well, before he turned tail down the hall and was out of sight.

"Quite a studious boy you have there, Baron," Ward commented with a grin, "He would make a fine business man with some training I imagine." He gave a sly smile to Jemma then, taking her hand lightly in his own before he turned to look back at her father.

"Now, back to the matter at hand. I would feel much more comfortable about staying in your home if it were taken care of. If one servant shirks their duties then others will as well. It will only be a matter of time before things escalate into an unsafe environment. It would be best for you and everyone to handle this matter in a swift fashion," He seemed quite intent to have an example made of the stable hand. It was clear he did not take lightly to slights of any sort. One could only imagine how he treated his own slaves if this were his demand for one he did not own.

Skye had returned to the stables early to finish the duties she hadn't been able to stomach the day before. She was trying her best not to think about things, but the four speckled horses only reminded her of what was to come. Ward was here, and in a few days, he would take Jemma away and Skye would never see her again. She had been too late to apologize, too late to say goodbye and make things right. Too late to tell her how she felt.

Realistically they had both known this day would come. It was Jemma's duty to marry the person of her father's choosing. Now that it was here, however, it didn't seem real. It didn't seem right. Her father could have chosen anyone, but he had settled on one of the most notorious men in the region. How could he give Jemma to a man like that?

Skye was still seething, even as she tossed fresh hay into the stalls for the horses. Was she...was she jealous? She never felt this way before, there had been no reason too. Still, she didn't even have a right to be jealous. They had always known this would happen, and she was a servant. She didn't even have a place thinking about it. She couldn't be jealous. How absurd.

Skye brought herself back from her thoughts and took notice that the grain stores were low. With four extra horses in the barn for a few days, they would certainly need more. She had free time now and decided to go and retrieve some to spare her the hassle of having to do it later. She left out the back door as she had the previous day and made her way with a small cart towards the back of the manor where the store houses were.

It was then that Fitz arrived to the barn, making sure that no one saw him as he entered. He turned, expecting to see the stable girl, but saw only horses. It was time for her morning chores. He had not miscalculated. He never miscalculated, so why wasn't she here?

"Skye?" he whispered harshly, moving deeper into the stables with earnest. He had to find her before Ward and his father did. When he didn't receive an answer, Fitz began to look in the stalls. Maybe she was still hiding.  
"Skye, you're in trouble. You need to come out-"

" _Let go of me_!"

Fitz turned around quickly, back to face the entrance to the barn. It had come from outside, and he knew that agitated voice.

"Bollocks," he cursed quietly and slid open the barn door just a crack to see outside. Sure enough, Skye was being pulled out from around the side of the manor by the servant master. He had a grave look on his face as he tugged the girl towards the side field.

"They found her first. Jemma's going to stab me with that fork in my sleep," Fitz grumbled, and slipped out of the barn and back towards the manor. He wasn't supposed to be out here and he had best make himself scarce.

Not long after Skye and the master were followed out by Ward, who seemed to look rather pleased with himself as he walked alongside Jemma. The Baron and his wife followed as was their duty to dictate the punishment. It had already been decided, and though it made Coulson feel sick to do it, the consequences must be given if he were to secure the contract between the Duke and Jemma.

"I was getting oats for the horses! I didn't do anything," Skye tried to shrug the master off before he tightened his grip on her arm and pulled her close.

"Stop struggling, or it's going to get worse," He advised quietly and brought her over to a tall post. Skye sometimes tied the horses here to work them when she had more than one, but she suspected it was going to be used for a very different purpose this time.

"What's going to get worse? I didn't _do_ anything," Skye urged again as she was shoved towards the pole.  
"That's right. You did nothing. My own inexperienced servants had to tend to my horses while you were idle, which took quite a deal longer than it should have and caused a decent bit of inconvenience," Ward interjected. He wore a grim face, but his eyes were smiling enough for the rest of him. "Your Baron has decided to punish you accordingly. Haven't you, Lord Coulson?"  
Skye's eyes darted to Coulson who looked grim as he watched her shocked expression, before he stiffened his features and nodded.

"I have. I cannot have insolence running rampant among my servants. This will serve as a warning," he said stiffly. Skye missed the apologies in his eyes before she was turned around and hands tied tightly around the post with thick rope.

 _Wait. What is happening?_ Skye's heart leapt up into her throat. It was pounding so hard it stung her ears as the blood rushed through her body. The adrenaline did not prepare her.

"Five lashes." It was Coulson, his voice strained.  
"What?! No!" Skye turned her head to the side as far as it would go to try and see behind her. To try and see someone. To try and see Jemma. All she saw was the whip in the servant master's hands.  
 _No. No, no, no. Jemma won't let them!_ She looked back again, trying to see her friend. It was a mistake.

"Je-" The rest of the name was followed instead by a shriek, which echoed over the estate and caused the birds in the trees to cry out and fly away. The master had drawn his arm back, and as Skye's head had turned to look, he had let loose the whip. It struck where her cheek shouldn't have been first, cutting the skin, and then through the cotton shirt as the lash raked its way across her back.

Skye arched into the pole, her knees buckling as she quickly turned her face forward. She was crying loudly, and ill prepared for the second lash that cleaved her skin. A louder cry echoed as it cut across her skin and finally her knees hit the dirt. She tried to tug her wrists free, to get loose and run, but the rope was too tight. She couldn't move.

" _Stop!_ " The third lash came and the back of her shirt was in shreds. Without what thin layer of protection the shirt had provided, the whip cut into her flesh unhindered.

 _They're not going to stop._ The fourth came and Skye shied away from it, which didn't help as it only proved to tighten the muscles on her back. The whip cut clean through, leaving yet another bloodied welt.

 _They don't care._ The fifth lash came and she cried out louder than before, sobbing hard as it tore away from her skin. Her body was shaking and she was pressing her forehead against the pole to distract herself, but it did little to help. _I'm just a servant…_  
The master raised his arm for another before Coulson grabbed it, stopping him abruptly. He could watch no more, and honestly the master did not want to continue either.

Ward seemed rather displeased the judgement had stopped short, but if he thought so, he held his tongue.

"Stop, that's enough. There have been enough lessons learned for one day," Coulson instructed. "Untie her and take her to the servants quarters. Get someone to tend to her back. I still need my stable hand in one piece," He instructed and turned around.

A small crowd of other servants had gathered to watch the events, all as shocked as Skye had been. Coulson had never laid a hand on his workers the way he had today.  
The Baron pointed to another man in the crowd, "You, see to the stables today." He commanded, and the servant quickly raced to the stables to complete his duties. The rest quickly dispersed after the events, not staying to watch the master untie Skye from the pole.

Tears freely streamed down Jemma's cheeks in rivers and she had to look away. The blood staining Skye's shirt and her quiet whimper as she was untied forced her to shut her eyes tightly. This whole thing had gone too far. Yes, the estate was running low on money, and yes, things had to be done to seal the contract with Ward, but it didn't warrant this.

Hate is a strong word, and Jemma had never used it to describe her feelings about anything or anyone, but she could say with absolute certainty that she hated Grant Ward and she was beginning to resent her father. Everything about this was wrong.

"Jemma, are you feeling empathy for the servant?" Ward asked incredulously. Jemma watched Skye with fear in her eyes until the nearly unconscious girl disappeared around the barn on her way to the servant's quarters with a few others.

"I feel _compassion_ for _Skye_ ," Jemma emphasized the fact that Skye did, in fact, have a name, and she couldn't hide the vicious snarl behind her words. May didn't even glare at her, because Ward was the only one feeling satisfied by the situation.

"Jemma, _Jemma._ " Ward tilted her chin upwards so she had to look into his eyes, which were so far above her own.

"So sweet, naive, and innocent." He chuckled. If Jemma could have it her way, she would smack his arm away and possibly find a way to murder him in his sleep. But she couldn't have it her way, she had no more say than Skye did in the matter. Instead, she was forced to simply flick her eyes away and go back to being the quiet, young, pretty fiance Ward was here to collect.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I know the last chapter was a little dark, but not all of the story is like that, most of it isn't. In fact, in this chapter, you get a little knight-in-shining-armor-Skye.**

It wasn't that Skye didn't want to work, she very much did, it was just that every time she bent over to pick up hay or shovel manure, her back would bleed through her bandages and ruin another shirt. So she had been confined to the servants quarters until her back was healed enough to allow her to return to work at the stables. It was killing her.

No one had asked how she was. Everyone was avoiding her like the plague, even the other servants. No one wanted to get messed up in whatever she had done to warrant a whipping. Skye couldn't blame them. She hadn't expected it either. She winced every time she had to sit up let alone try and do anything productive. The only person who would even come near her was the maester to put salve on her wounds and bandage her back up.

She didn't know what hurt more, her back, or the fact that no one had come to see her. It had been two days, and all Skye could think were the words she had played over and over again. They didn't care. She was just a servant.

She had finally been allowed to get up and move around and took to cleaning the servants home while the others had to go and pick up different duties due to her absence at the stables. This work didn't hurt as much, and it kept her busy, which kept her mind quiet. Skye didn't want to think about what had happened or how they had all just stood there and watched. Even Jemma.

Skye didn't know anyone had entered the room behind her until the old hinges squeaked as they closed.

"Skye," Fitz whispered, looking around to make sure no one else was present. If he was caught here, the consequences wouldn't be good for anyone.  
The injured girl went quiet in the other room, trying to decide if her pain was so bad that her ears were playing tricks on her. She slowly moved into the main area, a bowl and a cloth in hand where she had been washing them. When she saw Fitz, she almost dropped them.

"Took you long enough!" Skye tried to smile, and she succeeded for the most part, but it hurt still that he had waited so long. It hurt worse that it wasn't Jemma. She needed to talk to her before Ward whisked her away.

"I know, we're sorry. We've been trying to get out here and see you since… you know, but Ward won't let Jemma out of his sight for a second and father has been trying to keep you out of it." Fitz wrung his hands in front of him. "She told me to pass along a message."

"A message?" It didn't sound like good news to her. Skye felt a familiar knot build up in her gut and her muscles tense. This made her back hurt and she winced, squeezing the rag tightly.

"She says she's sorry. She's really, really sorry. You know Jemma, she thinks all of this is her fault. She told me to tell you that everything from that day you fought wasn't real. She was trying to get you to hate her. I promise." Fitz informed her, though he wasn't very clear about how much was from Jemma and how much he added in himself. "And, Skye," He continued. Fitz dropped his eyes to the ground for a brief moment before taking a few steps closer to the brunette and gently grabbing her arms. "They've already left." Tears fell from Fitz's eyes as he remembered the sad smile his sister had given him when she stepped into that carriage.

"There's a storm coming in from the east and they had to leave in a hurry so they wouldn't get stuck in it. I'm so, so sorry. She's gone. Jemma's gone."

The relief she had felt wash over her when Fitz delivered Jemma's confession quickly left, replaced with dread as the boy had moved closer. Now, with his hands on her arms and his last words ringing in her ears, she felt numb. As it processed, the feeling quickly came back.  
"What? What?!" Skye threw her arms in a circular motion, knocking Fitz's hands off her as she staggered back. The ceramic bowl shattered to the floor and she dropped the rag as she stabilized herself against the door frame. She felt like her chest was tightening, but perhaps it was just the bandages as she struggled to breathe.

"Fitz, they can't have already left! I haven't...I didn't…" She was shaking her head. This couldn't be possible. Everything was wrong. She was losing it.

"It's true. They should have already reached the Black Forest by now-"

"Then that's where I'm going," Skye didn't waste a second. She moved past him into the other room, running down the hall towards her own room. She flung the door open and was bent over, reaching under her bed for something. It was causing a strain in her back and some blood began to seep through the bandages and onto her shirt.

"You can't! It's not safe out there! Jemma's got half a dozen armed guards, and you're injured!" Fitz tried to stop her, using his body to block the doorway as best as he could while Skye continued her rampage.

"Don't you think I know that?!" Skye shouted back, pulling a small box out from underneath the bed. She ignored the boy's ridiculous attempt to block her and opened the box, taking out a small purse of coins and tying it to her belt. She then made sure her riding shoes were done up tight. She snatched a bag from the corner of the room and shoved a fresh shirt into it and turned to face him.

"You need to move," It was clear that Skye was not joking, "You need to move, now."

"What are you going to do if you catch up?! Just knock on the side of the carriage and say, 'Sorry, Ward, I'm just going to take your fiance and go back home'?" Fitz yelled.

"Yeah, maybe! I don't know," Skye shook her head, a frown forming on her face, but a determined one. She situated the bag over her head and onto her shoulder. "I'll figure something out. Let me through, Fitz!"

"No way, I can't let you just go waltzing off into the wilds! There are dragons!" Fitz grabbed the frames of the doorway with his hands to make himself a human barrier.

Skye worked with horses. Horses were strong animals. This had made Skye strong too, something Fitz soon discovered when her shoulder collided with his chest, knocking him clear of the door. Her back ached, but she raced past him anyway.

"Sorry!" She shouted back, just as she exited the servants quarters, door swinging wide in her wake. Skye raced towards the manor, making a pit stop in the kitchen, snatching up food as she rushed through and up the stairs into the main hall of the manor.

Some kitchen maids had complained as she pushed past them, but they didn't seem intent on hindering her. Now all she needed to do was sneak up to the study. She had clothes and food, all Skye needed was a few more things.

The Baron and his wife were busy in the sunroom, which Skye slipped past easily and up another set of stairs. She quickly let herself into the study, which, she realized, seemed very empty without Jemma in her chair reading. She knew that she and Fitz hid money behind one of the books to buy presents when they went into town. They always brought some sweets back for her.  
Skye moved past shelf after shelf until she found the one in the back that she wanted. There, she pulled out a thick worn leather cover. Poetry. Jemma's favorite. Skye had never cared for it much. She preferred the exciting adventures Jemma had taught her to read. Sure enough, behind the book was another small pouch of money. Skye shoved it into her pockets and went to put the book back when she stopped.

Jemma's favorite. She must have left it in their haste to pack. Skye didn't know exactly what she was going to do when she met up with the carriage, but as a backup she could always come under the pretense of giving Jemma the book. Then perhaps something horrible would happen to Ward, like falling out of the carriage, and Skye would steal Jemma away back home. Dream big.

Skye shoved the book into her bag then and snuck from the study and back down the stairs. She was losing time and if she didn't hurry she would get caught up in the storm too. She didn't even take care this time as she ran down the stairs and into the hallway. She literally almost ran into May, who was coming out of the sunroom, before she barreled through the front door and out to the stables.

Skye quickly ripped open the back door to the barn. Her back was aching where the bag was hitting it, but she ignored the pain. She didn't have time to waste. She went to the the only empty stall and quickly knelt down next to the wall and pulled free several stones and placed them onto the ground. She pulled out several long objects wrapped in white cloth and untied them. A short steel sword, a couple arrows, and an old worn bow. She quickly put the sword through her belt and strapped the half empty quiver and bow onto her back.

One last thing. Skye opened the stall to a slim light grey horse. It had been Jemma's favorite. "Alright, Apollo. Let's go get Jemma back," Skye grinned and saddled up the horse. She didn't have time to go through the entire routine, so she tightened the girth as far as it would go and then led the horse from the barn.

Her ruckus had gathered a few servant onlookers, but they wouldn't get much of a show. The horse was off and running by the time Skye had fully pulled herself up into the stirrups. In her haste, she just barely had time to situate herself onto the saddle before the horse had burst through the estate gates and was galloping down the road.

* * *

"The trip through the Black Forest is only a three day journey, we shall be married before you know it." Ward smiled and placed his hand on Jemma's thigh. He was sitting much too close for her comfort, and she was already pressed up against the edge of the carriage. They hit a small bump, and Ward's hand shifted upwards slightly, but she didn't think it was because of the hole in the road. His smile was twisted, it reminded Jemma more of a smirk than a grin. She forcefully swallowed the bile in her throat and continued staring out the window as if their surroundings were the most interesting thing in the world, but she just wanted an excuse to look away.

She and Skye had wandered to the edge of the wilds before, but they'd never come this far. It seemed mystical and whimsical from the outside, but deep in the thick of the trees it was much different. Her eyes scanned over each of the tree trunks. Some of them had claw marks sliced across them, as if a creature was either marking its territory or sharpening its nails. A few of the trees were knocked over completely, either by a huge storm or something more terrifying. Jemma's predictions about the causes of the fallen trees seemed even more true when they rolled past a section of the wood that was completely burned to the ground. _Here there be dragons._ That's what all the maps said. All Jemma could really think about, though, was how much Skye would have loved to see it.

She couldn't help but think back to her last few interactions with her best friend. The last time they'd actually talked, they'd had that stupid fight, and the last time they saw each other, Jemma stood by like a coward and watched her get whipped. She felt like a failure of a friend. She should have done something.

"You're not still angry about that servant, are you?" Ward asked distastefully. Jemma clenched her jaw and turned her head to finally face him. His eyes were sparked with desire, as if he got off on making her annoyed.

"Her. Name. Is. Skye." She grunted, finally pushing his hand off her leg.

"She was lucky she only got what she did. The little slackoff deserved much more than a mere five lashings." He replied. Jemma knew he was intentionally trying to anger her, but she couldn't help but let it get to her. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to contain her emotions. If this was what the rest of her life was going to be like, she didn't want it. She felt as if she was just as caged and restrained as Skye was back at home as a servant.

"If you really cared about her that much, you should have just asked me to stop it." Ward teased her. Jemma's blood began to boil in her veins. She knew the vile man wouldn't have stopped even if she had dropped onto her knees and begged. He would have enjoyed it.

A strange feeling slowly washed over Jemma as fury consumed her. She expected her blood to only become gradually more heated, but a chilling cold traveled throughout her whole body. An intense flash of pain split through her temples, and then it was over. Everything went black.

* * *

The afternoon sun was already falling behind the tall trees of the wilds, and for the first time on her spur of the moment journey, Skye began to wonder what would happen come dark. She had not been so busy that she had missed the fallen trees and the barren spots of scorched earth. There were creatures beyond her wildest imagination within this forest, and not all of them were unicorns and fairies. In fact, the ones that came out at night were probably the ghouls, the ogres, the trolls, the bandits, the ghosts, the goblins...pretty much everything Skye wasn't equipped to handle. Hopefully she caught up to Jemma's carriage before she had to worry more about those things.

Her horse had long since slowed. He was exhausted, and truth be told, Skye was tired as well. Her back continued to hurt and she didn't even want to think of how dirty it had become. She hadn't brought new bandages either. Or salve for her still open wounds. Poor planning, that's what this was. She practically deserved to die here in the wilderness. What were a few meager arrows, drawn by an already weakened hero (if she could even call herself that) against something terrifying...say, a dragon?! Nothing. It would do nothing.

Fitz had been right. How could she expect to save Jemma when she would hardly be able to save herself? The girl must be having a terrible time, Skye thought, having to sit an entire three to four days in a carriage with that lout. She shuddered to think of it. Assuming she got past any wild creatures, how was she supposed to get past the half dozen guards Ward had brought along for the journey? And then, assuming she somehow did all of that, how was she supposed to get through Ward himself? And gods forbid, but what if Jemma didn't actually want to go with her? What if he had worked his slimy silver tongue and she actually wanted to be with him?

The brunette was so deep in her own thoughts she didn't notice as she and Apollo passed a grazing horse, until the one underneath her neighed loudly, disturbing the silence of the woods. This shook Skye from her imaginings and she looked around, spying the black speckled horse.

"Thats...unusual," She commented to herself, stopping her own horse to watch the other graze. It reminded her of one of Ward's horses. He was a vile man, but he did have nice taste in a hard working beast. She flicked the reins, starting Apollo back at a quick pace. And then she passed a wagon wheel. And then a harness.

And then suddenly it made sense. The horse reminded her of Ward's horses...because it was one of Ward's horses. And if that was one of his horses, then something up ahead had gone terribly awry.

"Apollo, go!" Skye clicked her tongue and jabbed the horse's sides with her boots, spurring him on quickly down the path. It was not long before she was jerking back on the reins, bringing the animal to an abrupt halt and sliding from the saddle, eyes wide in terror. She gazed upon the wreckage of what had been the Duke's carriage, one dead horse still attached to the rigging. The bodies of the guards were scattered about the road and it looked like the top of the carriage had been burst wide open.

This was all shocking, but the strangest part was that ice covered the ground. It coated parts of the carriage. Bodies were frozen, some in pieces. Jagged spikes of it were stuck in the wood and in the ground. The entire small caravan was decimated. Something big had done this.

The shock of it sank in as Skye stood there next to the horse, mouth agape, taking it all in. Her legs trembled for a moment before she willed them to move. Everything had been destroyed. Everyone was dead. Everyone was…

"Jemma?!" She darted forward, almost slipping on some ice as she made her way to the first frozen body. It was hard to make out their features, but the body was too big to belong to a young girl. Without an answer, Skye began to panic.  
 _No, no, no…_

" _Jemma?!_ " She shouted again, this time checking in what was left of the carriage. Empty. Only ice. It made Skye's blood run cold. This couldn't be happening. This was all wrong. She left the carriage, hands gripping at her hair as she spun around, not knowing where to look, too afraid to look.

She was supposed to be riding in like a white knight...or at least a decently handsome stable hand, to sweep Jemma away from Ward and ride back into the sunset towards the Coulson Estate. Even though technically the sun set in the opposite direction of her father's house, but it wasn't like Skye had really thought it through. She was supposed to get Jemma back, not lose her forever right out of the gate.  
A loud whinny caught Skye's attention and she saw Apollo nudging something in the grass on the other side of the carriage. She stumbled around it, avoiding the icy spikes and trying not to slip. As she got closer, Skye gasped and ran, dropping down to her knees in front of Jemma.

"Jemma! Jemma, wake up!" She looked pale. Skye grabbed for her hands and almost drew away. They were freezing cold. Whatever had hit the carriage must have tried to get her too. Thankfully it hadn't.  
"Jemma, wake up! Are you alright?!" the brunette leaned over, despite how much it hurt her back to do so, and scooped up the girl into her arms, cradling her there on the side of the darkening road.

The first thing Jemma was aware of as she slowly regained consciousness was that she was cold. So, so cold. She couldn't feel her limbs and she wondered for a split second if she was dead. A voice penetrated her foggy mind, and it finally registered that warm arms were wrapped around her. She thought the voice sounded familiar, but it was like she was being spoken to underwater.

When her eyelids finally fluttered open, her eyes met with deeply concerned ones of a dark brown color. She didn't think she'd ever see them again.

"S-skye?" She stuttered. As she slowly regained control, her fingers grasped the material of the other girl's shirt and she pulled herself closer, wanting to be enveloped in her warmth. A quiet sob made her body jump. She didn't know what was going on, where she was, or what was happening. All she knew was that Skye was here, and it was going to be ok.

A heavy sigh escaped Skye when she heard her name, and she clutched the girl closer, pulling her as close in as possible to keep her warm.

"Jems...thank goodness," the brunette's arms started to shake as she began to cry, holding her friend tight. For a moment she had thought the girl was so cold she was dead.

"I'm sorry, Skye, I'm so, so sorry…" Jemma mumbled into the other girl's shoulder, falling into pitiful sobbing. She didn't ever want to let go of Skye again.

"Hush, it's okay," Skye almost would have laughed if she wasn't still so upset. Here she had found her best friend half dead and the girl was apologizing. Skye held her tightly, one arm around her back and the other now holding her head. It was so hot out she hadn't thought to bring a coat. She certainly hadn't expected ice!

"Jemma, what happened? The carriage is a mess...there's ice everywhere," Skye questioned, turning her head slightly to look back at the frozen mess. She let go just long enough to reach into her bag to pull out her spare shirt, the thick worn poetry book falling out as she did. She wrapped the shirt around Jemma's shoulders, trying to warm her up as much as she could.

"You brought that?" Jemma laughed bitterly, pointing to the book. She'd recognize the old cover anywhere.

Skye's question hardly seemed to take root in her mind, but when it did, she wasn't quite sure how to answer. She had no idea what happened. She had no idea how she went from being angry at Ward one minute to frozen on the side of the path on a warm summer's evening the next.

"I don't remember anything." Jemma finally settled on an answer. Another shiver crawled up her spine and she was grateful for Skye's gesture, even nuzzling into her neck.

Skye's face flushed a little and she almost pulled away, but she resisted, for Jemma's sake. The girl must be freezing. Just touching her cold skin made Skye shiver too. Still, it was going to be dark and they couldn't stay here forever. They were too far away to make it back to the estate before dark...they would need to find cover, some sort of safe place to hide in case whatever had attacked showed up again.  
"Jems...we need to go. Do you think you can walk?" Skye asked, pulling her head back just a little bit to look down at Jemma. Their faces were so close together, it made Skye want to blush again, not that she could help it, and so she quickly looked away, towards the remnants of the carriage and to the sun which was almost down below the top of the trees.  
"We can't be out here while it is dark. Whatever did this could come back. We need to start a fire to warm you up."

"Yes. Ok." Jemma put her complete trust in the fact that Skye would be able to get them out of this. She had, after all, had more experience with practically everything in life.

Unfortunately, the task was easier said than done, because as Skye carefully helped her to her feet, her legs wobbled and her head pounded in her ears. If only she could remember what happened. A dull ache ran up her spine, centering around her shoulder blades, and most of her body was sore for unknown reasons. Maybe it was because she had been thrown from the carriage. That made sense, it explained why she was further away from the wreckage and the… were they bodies? Jemma wasn't sure, but whatever they were, they were horrifying.

Instinctively, her hand slipped into Skye's, but she quickly retracted it, realizing how strange she must be acting. This time, she wasn't so sure the shaking was entirely caused by the temperature of her body. The scene before her was gruesome. Some of the bodies were dismembered and shards of frozen blood littered several places on the ground. How had she survived whatever horror had killed these men and turned the sturdy carriage into a pile of splinters?

One of Jemma's knees buckled and she clutched at Skye's shoulders, apologizing profusely when the taller girl winced. She'd forgotten all about that until now. It was something they would have to talk about later, when they were safe.

"No, it's fine," Skye breathed through her teeth as she helped Jemma steady herself. "Here, hold me, it's okay," She put Jemma's arm around her shoulder. It stung and the weight of the girl made her already tired body ache even more, but she held fast. She wrapped her other arm around Jemma's waist and held there securely.

"See? I've got you. Nothing is going to happen to you," She assured the girl. Skye only hoped that it would hold true. She walked Jemma over to a small chunk of ice, followed by Apollo.  
"Here, we are going to put you up on the horse. That way you won't have to walk. You'll just have to hold on," Skye smiled gently, trying to reassure the girl as she helped her up onto the block of ice. From there Skye helped to lift her up onto Apollo's saddle. She retracted her hands from the girl's hips once she was sure Jemma had a sure hold.  
"I've got some food, so once we find a place to hide and build a fire to get you nice and warm, we can have a little snack," Skye nodded, more to assure herself this time than Jemma. It was swiftly getting dark as she led the horse back past the wreckage of the carriage.

Jemma was almost ashamed that she had nothing to say. Here Skye was, even with her injuries, saving her from who knows what, and she was completely struck dumb. She could hardly even create comprehensible sentences right now, much less really express any of her feelings to Skye.

A groan startled them both and they turned to find the source. Of course Grant Ward had survived the attack like the cockroach he was. He hadn't escaped unscathed, however. It was deeply satisfying to Jemma to see that his right leg was frozen to the ground in solid ice. Somehow, for some reason, she felt accomplished.

When Ward saw Jemma alive, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"Dragon…" He was starting to say something, but before he had the chance, Skye had charged over and taken advantage of his position on the ground, swiftly kicking his teeth in with the heel of her boot. Jemma had never seen Skye so angry before, and it almost scared her.

Still fuming, Skye stomped back over and grabbed Apollo's reins, leading him who knows where. Jemma sat in stunned silence, waiting for Skye to say something, anything.

"What? He deserved it. He's lucky I didn't kick him again for my back too," Skye grumbled, urging the horse along into the woods.


	5. Chapter 5

While the small fire crackled in front of them, Jemma finally noticed the shivering come to an end. Lightning lit up the sky and rain was falling outside in curtains, but Skye had managed to get them underneath a rocky overhang before the storm had hit. They were dry and warm, and finally alone.

Jemma snuck a glance at the girl beside her, but quickly looked away when Skye caught her staring. Blood had stained through the girl's shirt again and Jemma couldn't help but feel responsible for all of it. It was her fault Skye had been hurt in the first place, and it was her fault again that Skye was stuck out here in the wilderness, reopening wounds and trying to figure out how they were going to make it back home safely. The problem with that, however, was that going home didn't seem like a solution. Ward was still alive, and he'd be looking for them. Even if he never wanted anything to do with Jemma's family ever again, her father would still have to find another suitor for her. That was just how things worked.

"Are you alright?" Jemma asked Skye when she noticed the other girl shifting uncomfortably while leaning against the wall of the cliff behind them. The rock jutting outwards from the structure wasn't very large, so they were both cramped in a space with a width hardly wide enough for Apollo to fit underneath.

Skye looked up from her work, which was trying to slice off a piece of bread from one of the loaves she had stolen from the kitchens. Her back did hurt, she could tell Jemma had noticed. She had seen her staring.

"Yeah, I'm fine," clearly not, and she bit her lip at the lie but handed Jemma a piece of bread. She made sure to gently rest herself back against the wall, but she flinched anyway. "I have, uhm...apples too, and some cookies. I took whatever they had laying out. It wasn't much," Skye admitted. She sounded disappointed, almost like she blamed herself for not preparing enough for this moment, although she knew that she could never have known this was going to happen. Nothing about what she had imagined involved them hiding under a rock waiting out a storm in the worst possible forest to be in at night.

"We should probably save it… we don't know how long we'll be out here." Jemma sighed and took a small bite of the bread. She should have been, after what she'd been through, but she just wasn't very hungry. It was discomfort rumbling through her stomach instead of hunger. For the first time in their very long friendship, Jemma was uneasy holding conversation with Skye. So much had happened between them, even without them talking. The last time they'd had a real conversation was in the study a week ago.

"I can help with that." Jemma swallowed a lump in her throat and offered whenever Skye shifted again. She'd spotted a plant a few meters away from their shelter that held healing qualities. She was willing to get a little wet again if she could somehow ease Skye's pain, even if just a little bit. They could sacrifice Skye's bloody, ruined shirt and use the remnants to fashion another bandage. She had the extra one, after all. Jemma didn't need it draped over her shoulders to stay warm anymore, not with the fire.

"I said I'm fine," Skye snapped back. She looked down at the bread in her hands. Clearly she hadn't meant for it to come out so bitter. She didn't know if she was upset, or if her aching back was just making her snippy. Probably a bit of both. They hadn't actually spoken in such a long time, Skye wasn't sure what to say. Fitz's apology came to mind, and finally she sighed and shifted again.

"On second thought...it does sting," Skye's eyes slowly moved up till they made contact with Jemma's, "like...a lot." She smiled then in an attempt to make the situation a little less painful and awkward. She shifted again, a little closer this time.

"Fitz said," the stable girl swallowed hard, silent for a moment as she tried to collect her words, "Fitz said that you said everything from the study was a lie. Is that true, or...was that just Fitz trying to make me feel better before he told me you left?"

Jemma's breath hitched in her throat and she had to look away from the pained expression on Skye's face. She knew it wasn't just because of her back. She also knew that this was going to get brought up eventually, it was the epitome of an elephant in the room.

"It's true," she replied. If she had been looking at Skye, she would have seen her relief, but she continued. "I was just trying to make it easier for you when I left…" Jemma began to get a little choked up near the end of her sentence. She couldn't peel her eyes away from her hands in her lap. They were dirty, for the first time in years. She hadn't even sat on the ground like this since she was a younger child, and if she wasn't currently in such a predicament, she would have enjoyed this.

"I'll be right back." Jemma stood and walked out into the rain without hesitation. She crossed her arms across her chest, but it didn't stop the water from immediately soaking through her clothes and chilling her to the bone for the second time in one day. The ferns were only a few meters away, she just had to grab a few of them and then she'd be back with Skye and sitting next to the fire again.

Skye opened her mouth to speak but when she did Jemma was already getting up and out into the rain. She was relieved that what Fitz had told her was true, but it also hurt that Jemma thought she would have to do that. The brunette couldn't think of any world where she would rather hate her, even if she was across the land in another city or not. By the time Jemma came back under the overhang the words were gone, and Skye's arms were crossed over her knees. Her back was stretched, but having dealt with the pain all day, it wasn't in the forefront of her mind anymore. How could Jemma think that hating her to make it easier was the best option? Why would she even want to do that?

Jemma held the ferns tightly in one hand as she knelt next to Skye. She'd only been thinking about which plants would help her, so she hadn't thought about how awkward this was actually going to be.

"You, um…" Heat flushed in Jemma's cheeks and she couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence, instead just pointedly looking at Skye's shirt and hoping she didn't have to say it aloud. Sure, she and Skye used to go swimming in less than a full set of clothes, but that was before she… filled out. Jemma only hoped that the wet strands of hair sticking to her face at least helped mask her blush.

"Huh," Skye turned her head to look at Jemma, but quickly turned it back to look at the fire, "Oh...right." Jemma would see her inhale sharply before she reached for her sides, wincing as she did and pulled the bloodied shirt up over her head. The bandages were ruined, soaked through with blood as her shirt had been. Skye was blushing heavily and she hoped Jemma would think it was just the heat from the fire since she was sitting so close to it.

She hadn't thought this through when she agreed to let Jemma help. The bandages were all the way around her chest, and they would need to be undone to access the wounds. Suddenly this seemed like a terrible idea, and the muscles in Skye's back tensed along with the rest of her.

"It...it really doesn't hurt, now that I think about it," She lied quickly, holding tightly onto the shirt which she had already taken off. Maybe Jemma wouldn't notice and they wouldn't have to sit through a weird situation. Skye wouldn't normally mind. She had never minded when they were children, and she hadn't even minded once they had grown up. It was almost like she had been showing off for Jemma, hoping she might take notice. Working in the stables had given her a very nice physique and she knew it, but since their apparent fake fight and Fitz mentioning the girl watching her, Skye wasn't quite as brave now.

Jemma stared at Skye skeptically, one hundred percent certain that the girl was lying. She knew exactly why Skye was embarrassed, she'd be feeling the same way if their roles were reversed. But this was something that had to be done, her wounds had to be cleaned.

"Relax. I'll stay right behind you, I won't see a thing." Jemma promised, scooting in between Skye and the wall and making sure she was sitting directly behind her before she started undoing the dressing around the wound. Jemma could feel her heart pounding and racing, and if there wasn't so much blood, she would have had trouble keeping her eyes off Skye's muscled shoulders and sides.

It was a little awkward, but she had to reach around Skye's waist to undo the bandage and move the end all the way around her torso as it unwound. Each time, she had to lean forward and her face was only inches from Skye's skin. They were in such close proximity that Jemma was sure the other girl could feel her breath on her shoulder. Electricity jolted through her fingertips each time they grazed Skye's side by accident.

She pushed her strange feelings aside when the bandages fell away and she focused on the slashes across the girl's shoulder blades and the majority of her back. It was the first time she'd seen them since the incident occurred, and she was glad they'd had two days to heal first. If they had looked any worse than this, Jemma might just cry. She was already on the verge of tears anyway. It looked so painful, she didn't know how Skye had managed to get all the way out here for her.

Skye tried not to flinch whenever she felt Jemma graze her skin with her hands. She was also holding her breath without even realizing it until she had to gasp and suck air back into her lungs. She was fidgeting with her hands, a lot. She was trying very hard not to think about the shivers she felt or how fast her heart was beating, sending blood rushing up to her face. She tensed again when she felt the girl accidently touch her when unwrapping the last of the bandage.

"H-how bad is it? Not too bad right? I'll just have some scars. I'll look more like a real fighter with scars," Skye turned her head to look back, smiling at her poor attempt at a joke. Her back muscles tightened, flexing just a little and making her wince. Her smile faded though when she saw Jemma's face. She was about to cry.

"Hey, no, I'm alright. I've got the best medic in the world," She knew Jemma. The girl was probably thinking this was all because of what she had said in the study. It had clearly shaken the both of them. "This isn't your fault, Jems. I should have just stayed to help with the horses. It's my job after all."

"It shouldn't have to be." Jemma muttered, so quietly that she wasn't even sure she'd said it out loud. She wished Skye wasn't a servant, she wished Skye had her own say about what happened to her. She wished a lot of things, but that wasn't going to do any good.

"Your injuries are healing, but they'd heal much quicker if you were to rest." Jemma said, blinking back her tears and retrieving the ferns from the ground next to her. She didn't want to talk about what happened, she wanted to forget about it completely. The first step to doing that was making sure Skye was alright.

Jemma mashed the leaves of the plant between her palms, as she'd read to in her books. It wasn't just poetry that she spent her time learning. She found almost every topic interesting, so she had a wide range of knowledge. The juices of the lady fern were supposed to ease cuts, burns, and scrapes, so there was no reason why it wouldn't relieve Skye's pain. Very gently, she pressed her damp palms against Skye's back and repeated the process until every inch of her cuts were covered in liquid extracted from the plant.

"I'm not likely to get a lot of rest. In case you haven't noticed, my rescue attempt went rather poorly...or at least the things up until I found you," Skye sighed, hissing through her teeth as she sucked in air. The plant burned and it felt cold on her back. She hoped it would make the pain go away, and after a moment, it did. Her back felt numb, just a slight tingle on her skin.

"I have to get you back home," the brunette spoke up again, sounding more determined this time. "When Fitz told me you had left I couldn't…" She stopped herself and squeezed her arms around her legs, turning her head back to look at the fire instead. "Ward would be a terrible husband for you. You can do better. Your dad can do better…" she settled on. She had been brave and in such a rush to get here, to talk to Jemma, to tell her how she felt...and now it fell flat.

"I know," Jemma said solemnly, reaching for Skye's tattered shirt so she could begin ripping it into usable strips. "Believe me, I know." She meant this about all of Skye's statements. She knew she had to go home, she knew Grant Ward was a terrible person… and she knew how Skye felt. She experienced the same gut-wrenching pain the second she had to leave without saying goodbye.

Jemma worked in silence for a few moments, wrapping the makeshift bandage around Skye's torso in the same manner as she had unwrapped the previous one.

"Skye…" Jemma began. She wasn't sure she dared say what she really felt. She was finished with the bandages and reached for Skye's spare shirt, passing it to her and moving away a few feet. She immediately missed the closeness and the intimacy between them that came with Jemma's caring for her. "I don't want to go back home." She blurted it out before she could change her mind.

Skye stood, taking the shirt from Jemma and slowly put it back on. The plant was helping with the pain, but that didn't mean that some motions weren't still uncomfortable for her. She had been about to thank Jemma when suddenly the girl's words came sputtering from her mouth.

"What?" Skye looked confused. That had been her original plan. Somehow take Jemma from Ward and deliver her back home. She had expected ramifications of course, and would have taken the consequences upon herself, but she didn't see any other option.

"Jemma, we have to. Where are we going to go if we don't go back home? Your brother and father are home. We don't have any food or supplies...I was going to bring you back…" Skye admitted, still looking confused. She looked concerned too.

"We can't just wander about the wood. Jemma, there are dragons and all sorts of other creatures here. Not to mention bandits and thieves and thugs...the list goes on," She threw her hands up in exasperation as she walked towards the girl. The motion would have before hurt the cuts on her back, but now didn't, which reminded her, "Thank you…" Skye calmed down then and sighed, hands on her hips as she silently thought to herself. "I'm glad...I'm glad that what you said in the study was a lie. I think I can handle you being gone better than you hating me. I don't ever want you to have to hate me, Jems."

This was odd. It was like their rolls were reversed. As children, Skye was always the rambunctious one, and Jemma was always the one to talk some sense into her whenever she wanted to do something they weren't supposed to.

"I could never hate you." Jemma said quietly, not moving from her spot on the dirt floor of their temporary shelter. "I could never feel anything but the very opposite." Jemma informed her friend. Just the thought of having to return home with Skye made her stomach churn.

"They'll always be someone else if I go back. They'll always be someone to take me away." The level of desperation in her voice gradually rose. She finally pulled herself to her feet, even though it was difficult because she was still sore for unknown reasons and her soaking wet dress was weighing her down.

"That's sort of the point, Jemma," Skye sighed, shoving her hands into her pockets and looking out into the dark rain. They couldn't see anything beyond what their fire illuminated. They didn't call it the Black Forest for nothing.  
"You're supposed to meet some nice lord or duke or baron or whatever and you'll fall in love with him and then you'll get married and then you'll be happy. That's how life works...I just...not Ward," Skye shook her head. She looked disappointed with the entire situation, but she was being realistic. Jemma couldn't just stay with her father forever.

Jemma could feel her breath coming in short gasps, and she was suddenly very aware of her corset again, restraining her like it was a cage.

"How can you say that, Skye?" Jemma questioned. Tears were biting at her eyes and even though she knew Skye didn't mean it the way she was hearing it, it still hurt. "Even though it wasn't real, you were upset when I treated you like a servant. How can you turn around and treat me differently because of my social class?" She lectured, finding herself more and more frustrated as she continued. "I am just as caged as you are. The only difference between us is what our expected purpose is." Jemma continued her rant, clenching her fists tightly at her sides and staring into Skye's eyes instead of shying away like they'd been doing this whole time.

"And you know just as well as I do that it isn't just Ward, no matter how horrible he is." Jemma continued. "Every time someone shows up, no matter who he is, neither of us will approve of him as my husband." She practically snarled. She was so angry at this point that her body was shaking. She wasn't angry at Skye, she was angry at the entire situation.

"Well its not like I'm happy about it either!" Skye shouted back, crossing her arms over her chest. Jemma was just being silly, and that wasn't something she did often. Skye didn't take her as the naive type, but the world worked the way it worked and though her words back in the study had hurt, they had been right. Skye was a servant and Jemma was the daughter of a Baron.

"I don't want some fancy lord with twenty horses and a gross mustache coming up and asking for you! I don't want Ward taking you away! I don't want anyone to take you away! That's why I came to get you!" Skye's voice was getting louder as she argued right back. She was holding her head in frustration with the girl. "I'm just a servant! I shouldn't even technically be your friend!" It came out before she could stop. She was too worked up, "I'm not supposed to be in love with you!"

Skye was suddenly breathless. Her anger had dissipated in an instant and now she stood there dumbfounded with herself, hand over her mouth. _Shit_ … She turned away quickly, debating whether to just run out into the rain and into the darkness. She could die out there at night. Anything would be better than what she had just done. Her face was red and she was shaking, eyes on the ground.

"I meant...I meant…" her brain was too scrambled to think of an excuse. Anything. She could have said anything and she said that.

Within the very short time period of a single day, Jemma had left her home and her family with a stranger she despised, had been attacked by a mysterious creature in the woods, and almost frozen solid, but nothing jolted her more than Skye's words. She couldn't have been more surprised if Skye had turned around and suddenly attacked her, but yet, somehow, she expected it. It was as if somewhere, deep down in her own subliminal mind, she knew that Skye was going to say this. That Skye felt this. That _she_ felt this.

Jemma took a cautious step towards Skye, who looked like she was deciding whether or not she wanted to bolt. Her next step was a little more anxious, and the last few were quick and reckless. She grabbed Skye's arm and whirled her around so they were eye to eye.

"I'm not supposed to be in love with you either."

Skye couldn't help but stay focussed on Jemma's eyes. Her body was still tense, but it wasn't because she wanted to run now, it was because she was afraid in a different way. Had she misheard? Had she wanted this so much that she just imagined it for herself?  
"I...you mean you…?" Her mouth still wouldn't work. Her body was tense under Jemma's touch. She was waiting for confirmation. Just one more time, to make sure she hadn't made this all up. Perhaps she had a fever from her wounds. Perhaps the plant was making her senses numb too. This couldn't be real.

Jemma released Skye's arm and took half a step back. Who was she kidding? Of course this wasn't going to happen, how could it? It would have been easier if she had just kept her big mouth shut. A bolt of lightning and crack of thunder suddenly exploded across the night sky as if it was emphasizing the sudden space between them.

"Yes. A thousand times yes." The look on Skye's face had been begging her to say it again. She was afraid. Not afraid of whatever was between them, but afraid that they wouldn't be able to keep it. She wanted it so badly, though, and she couldn't let that fear stop her from finally telling the truth.

Words finally processed, the brunette didn't waste another second. She had crossed the small distance between them quick as lightning. There was a ridiculous grin on her face and it only got wider as one of her arms quickly slid around Jemma's waist and pulled her the rest of the way in. Skye's free hand was on her cheek, holding her gently although her hand was shaking with excitement. She brought her face in slowly though, touching her nose to Jemma's for only a moment, in case the girl wanted to move away. When she didn't she closed the few centimeters left between them and her lips were on Jemma's, rough from never having done this before and needy for wanting it so bad.

They'd hugged before, they'd kissed each other's cheeks before, but nothing felt quite like this. Jemma had read many lustful romance novels in her time, but they had nothing on this. This was exciting, this was new, this was _incredible._

There was no such thing as close enough. Even when Jemma stood on her toes to enthusiastically return the kiss, it just wasn't good enough. She wrapped her arms around Skye's neck and pressed their bodies together, and she made it well known that she wanted this too by letting a shiver run down her spine as Skye's hands traveled to her waist and held her firmly.

They finally broke apart when Jemma gasped for air, they had both forgotten how to breathe for a moment. They stood there silently for a few moments basking in each others arms and swimming in each others eyes. Jemma hadn't believed in magic before, but maybe she was about to change her mind. They were in the Black Forest, after all, anything was possible.

When Skye's breathing rate returned to normal and her cheeks less flushed she pulled back a little, though still holding Jemma firmly. She didn't want to let go quite yet. She didn't want to let go ever.

"If we go back...Ward might try to take you again...or your father will marry you to someone else so…" Skye bit her lip. She was nervous at what she was about to suggest, and she had no idea how it was going to work, but she wasn't going to give this up without a fight.

"We won't go back. We'll go to a new town or a new village or stay here. I don't care. No one else is getting you but me."

Jemma grinned like a little kid on Christmas. That was the Skye she knew. Maybe all those books weren't so fictional after all. Maybe she and Skye would just have to write their own story.


	6. Chapter 6

With morning came the end of the storm. The small fire had long since died down and there was a chill in the crisp morning air. The forest, once loud with thunder, and now loud with early morning life was just beginning to wake up.

Skye shivered, the chill in the air and the chirping of birds causing her to stir. The numbness in her back had faded and now the sting of her wounds returned as she woke from sleep. Her body ached, having slept on the cold hard ground under the overhang. She had not thought to bring a sleeping roll, but then again, she hadn't known she would be spending the night in the Black Forest.

The stable hand finally opened her eyes, the brightness of morning making her squint as she tried to take in her surroundings. Suddenly the previous day came rushing back. They were in the woods. Jemma's carriage had been attacked. She had been frozen nearly to death. They had made a fire and had an argument and...Skye's eyes finally adjusted and she looked ahead of her. The top of Jemma's head came into view first. The girl's head was snuggled up under her chin, their arms wrapped around each other to stay warm. The girl was only in her under dress. The large blue thing had been soaked through from her having gone out to get the plants. Skye shifted slightly, seeing it laid out by the now dead fire to dry.

They had said they loved each other last night. They had kissed last night. Skye's face quickly flushed as she glanced down at their entwined bodies again. They had slept all snuggled up last night too it seemed. It was not at all an unpleasant turn of events.

Since Jemma was pressed flush against Skye, even the smallest movement made her stir. Upon waking, she was instantly met with the earthy smell that was Skye. She sucked in a deep breath and sighed, snuggling into the brunette's chest again as she released. This was nice. After everything they'd been through recently, this was a nice change.

It was fitting that the storm finally dissipated. The weather had seemed to go right along with their emotions. Last night had been the storm that had been blowing in for quite some time, and now they were enjoying the quiet morning afterwards. Jemma felt more peaceful and content than she had when she was young.

If she had been at home, someone would have woken her by now and she'd be busying herself with some book, but now that she and Skye were out here in the middle of nowhere, they could do whatever they wanted without the fear of someone constantly breathing down their backs or society looking down on them. Their social classes didn't matter out here.

Jemma squeezed Skye a little tighter to let the other girl know that she was awake. She was still careful and avoided Skye's back, though. She'd have to apply some more of the fern extract when she had the chance.

"Good morning," Jemma mumbled into Skye's shirt. She found herself comfortable in Skye's arms, even though technically at home she would be considered indecent and in her undergarments. It didn't matter with Skye.

Skye lifted her chin from the top of Jemma's head and shifted just so, so that she could look down at the girl in her arms. Another smile crept over her face, shortly followed by a blush, and she quickly shifted her eyes to look anywhere but at Jemma. At the rock ceiling, at the tree, anywhere.

"Morning," It was quiet. The brunette was a tad embarrassed and a tad nervous but overwhelmingly happy. Finally she relaxed enough to bring her eyes back to Jemma, "Did you uhm...did you sleep alright?" Her arms moved a bit and held the girl loosely in her arms instead of the tight desperate grasp of sleep. "I mean, well, sleep well enough for having been laying on some rocks," Skye chuckled then. They were out in the woods, sleeping on rocks, all curled into one another. Perhaps her rescue plan hadn't gone quite so wrong after all.

"I slept well enough," Jemma said, finishing her sentence with a yawn. She pulled away just enough to be able to look into Skye's eyes. "You're a lot softer than you look." Jemma's face turned red instantly and she covered her face with her arm. Apparently, everything she said was awkward.

Skye chuckled and her flush grew a little deeper, but she leaned down and planted a kiss on the top of Jemma's head. "You're pretty comfortable yourself," She grinned, rolling her eyes at how silly she must sound herself. This was still new and she was still nervous but Skye was more than willing to get used to it. She definitely didn't want to let go, but her back was beginning to sting now that the dullness of sleep had gone and the plant had worn off.

"Are you hungry? I've still got some apples and bread and cookies in my bag," Skye offered, trying not to shift any now so as not to hurt herself or let Jemma notice she was sore again. She didn't want to ruin the moment too fast.

"That sounds good." Jemma said quietly as she sat up. The night had been perfect before, but they still had things to worry about. They both agreed that they wouldn't go back home, but they had limited supplies and they weren't sure how deep they were in the forest. The nearest town had to be at least a few days away if they traveled on foot.

"We should probably ration it though, we still have to find a way out of here. Do you know which direction the road is?" She asked. She wanted to just stay here with Skye forever, but if they actually wanted to make this work, they had to get moving and start planning. The longer they waited here the less likely they'd make it out of the forest, which meant they couldn't really explore their new relationship.

Skye sighed and sat up, wincing a little when the muscles in her back moved after keeping still during the night. Having slept on a rock didn't help much either. She knew Jemma was right and that they needed to make a plan, but after everything from the day before, a moment to rest would be nice. A moment to not have to worry about something. Skye wasn't sure that sleep counted.

"Well then we will only share an apple for now, how is that? I do have a bow and some arrows. I could try to find a rabbit or something…" Her face scrunched up a little. She was good at shooting her makeshift targets which she sometimes set up after her chores at the estate were done, but none of them had ever moved. She wasn't so sure she could shoot one, let alone prepare it to be cooked. She worked in the stables, not the kitchens. Still, she didn't know where they were going to go or how long they would be in the woods. Jemma was right, they needed to ration food and make a plan, and Skye needed to be able to hunt something if they were going to get out and have energy to explore.

"Alright." Jemma agreed as Skye rummaged through her bag, searching for the apple. She didn't mean anything against Skye, but she doubted the other girl could catch something and she doubted they'd be able to make it edible. Thankfully she knew a lot of different edible plants that they might find in the forest. She was glad she'd read that plant book, the knowledge was definitely helping her out now, in more ways than one. That reminded her, she needed to tend to Skye's back. They didn't have any new bandages, but she hadn't bled through them this time, so it would be ok to reuse them as long as they were washed next time they found water.

"I'll go find some more of those ferns, I know you're starting to feel pain again, it's all over your face." Jemma stood and walked away from the overhang, lightly patting Apollo's side as she passed. She was glad Skye picked him, she would have missed the beast if they'd left without him.

She found herself stumbling around a bit more this time, she was having a little trouble finding the fern she'd taken leaves from the previous night. She was probably a little too far out. It didn't matter though, because she spotted the same type of plant not too far away. This part of the forest didn't seem so menacing during the day, it wasn't as blackened as the portion she'd seen when she was still in that carriage. She froze, however, when she heard a rustling in a nearby tree. She suddenly remembered all of Skye's warnings about dangerous creatures that lived in these woods, and she'd read enough about them herself to know that they weren't playing around.

"Skye?" She called out behind her shakily, clutching the plant in her hands and trying not to move. She didn't know what was watching her, but she didn't think turning her back to it and running was a good idea. At least Skye had a weapon.

Skye had already taken the apple and was cutting it in half for them to eat while Jemma was waltzing about the woods looking for the fern. She was actually about to take a bite of her half when she heard her name. The brunette dropped both halves of the apple and was up in an instant, despite the pain it caused in her back. Skye knew Jemma's regular voice, but this had sounded shaky and faint and when her eyes finally caught sight of her further out than before, she was immobile in the middle of the wood.

The stable girl scrambled for her sword under her bag and once in hand, quickly jogged over to the noble girl. Her sword was up and her hand took Jemma's and she looked at her. "What is it?" Skye turned her attention to the rustling in the bush, and she squeezed Jemma's hand before letting go again and moving ahead of her. There were monsters in the woods, and for a moment, Skye was afraid that one had found them, until a squirrel darted out from the underbrush and darted up the nearest tree.

Skye stood there, stunned for a moment before she dropped the sword and let out a loud laugh, turning back to Jemma and pointing as the small rodent ran, "Oh no! Look out! Killer squirrel, Jemma! Help me!"

"Stop that!" Jemma squealed and rushed up to her, playfully slapping her arm. "And that is not how I sound!" She complained. Skye's voice was high pitched and Jemma could just feel it mocking her. "You were scared too, I saw it!" She accused, but she quickly broke into a small fit of laughter as the squirrel darted up a tree, never to be seen again. She had to grab Skye's arm to steady herself as she continued to giggle. She really needed to get the damn corset off, it made sure she couldn't breathe when she felt emotion of any kind.

"Go take your shirt off, silly." Jemma pointed back to their temporary camp, holding up the ferns to show Skye that her tiny mission hadn't been a complete failure.

"As you command, my lady," Skye laughed and leaned over, taking the sword back up as she continued to chuckle her way back to the overhang. She had been scared for a moment, but she would never admit that, even if Jemma had caught her. She put the sword back down next to her bag and gently pulled the shirt up over her head. She winced a bit, now that the pain was back, and she sat down. Her face flushed again when she realized the bandages would have to be unwrapped again. She wondered what Jemma would do, and it made the brunette nervous again, her muscles tensing up in anticipation.

Jemma cared for Skye's wounds in the same manner as she had the night before. Their newfound feelings didn't make it any less awkward, however, and Jemma still blushed the whole time, glad that Skye couldn't see her face. It was no less intimate a process than it had been last time. When she finished, she placed a gentle hand on Skye's bare shoulder.

"Better?" She asked lightly.

"Lots," Skye smiled, feeling the numbness take effect and she relaxed, turning to look back at Jemma. Her face was still flushed and it looked like Jemma's was too. "Thanks," She decided not to be nervous and she leaned back and gave Jemma a quick kiss before getting up and snatching her shirt from the ground. "You need to eat now," the brunette advised, slipping her shirt back on. She leaned over and picked up the two halves of the apple she had dropped in her haste to get to Jemma. She cleaned off the one she hadn't bitten and handed it to the smaller girl. "We need to eat and get ready. We can't stay under this rock forever. We need to find a safer place. Where would you like to go? I didn't bring a map, but we have a horse. I'm sure we can find the road."

Jemma took a small bite of her portion of the apple and smiled. She definitely liked this, she liked the ability to be herself and she liked that Skye could just lean over and kiss her whenever she wanted. She could enjoy it all later, though, right now they had to focus on the task at hand: getting out of the forest in one piece.

Sleeping on the ground hadn't really helped her sore body, but she wasn't one to complain and she got up silently, slipping back into the blue second layer of her dress. It wouldn't fare very well out in the wilderness, but when they finally escaped and found a village, she couldn't very well be walking around in her underwear. She tied the strings in the front and turned to find that Skye had been watching. She blushed and got back to their planning.

"While finding the road does seem like the first logical option, it would take about a week to reach any towns on foot with only one horse and we only have about two days before we start to die of thirst. Our best bet would be to find a water source before we try to find a way out of the wilds." Jemma pointed out, tying off the last knot that held her dress in place.

The stable hand nodded at Jemma's words. They wouldn't get far down the road without food and water, especially the water. "I'm not sure how to find it. Have you read anything in your books about finding some? We will need something to carry it in too," Skye frowned. She should have prepared more for the possibility of having to stay out in the wilds. She had brought food, but she had been in too much of a haste to reach Jemma, and now they were stuck.

"We should pack up here then soon and get going. We will have to find another safe space like this before dark as well as finding some water," Skye picked up her bag and tossed it over her shoulder, then leaned over to secure her sword to her belt. The bow she had brought was still attached to Apollo's saddle. Their decision to not return to the Baron's estate was incredible, and Skye only hoped that they would have a large amount of luck on their side to survive together to find a new home.

As Skye packed up their makeshift campsite, Jemma looked around a little bit, crouching on the ground occasional to see how damp the soil was.

"I didn't read it in an actual informational book, but in a fictional piece, the adventurer found water by looking for damp spots on the ground and following animal tracks." Jemma suggested. It made sense, the animals knew where water sources were. It wasn't easy to find any tracks now, though, the storm had washed it away. The damp soil wasn't a good indicator either, the rainwater had made sure of that.

"It might help if we go downhill, the rainwater might have gathered in a runoff, and streams are more likely to be on lower ground." Jemma said, pointing off into the distance in a direction where the ground gradually sank lower. She didn't know how they were going to hold the water though, they would have to figure that out once they actually found some.

"I guess it's a good thing you were always reading then," Skye smiled and took Apollo's reins and led him out from under the rock, "Let's get going then. He is probably hungry and tired from his journey yesterday. I don't want to ride him until he gets a good drink and some more grass." The brunette reached out and took Jemma's hand with her free one and began walking in the direction the girl had chosen for them.

"Perhaps if we could find a way down there, that isn't a cliff face, we could find water," Skye nodded towards the back of the overhang they had made camp under. There was no getting down that way, but it looked to go deeper into the wood than towards the road. They could find their way out later, but first they needed to make sure they could survive the trip.

Skye let go of Jemma's hand, only for a moment, to take out her sword and she hacked an 'x' into a tree. "I can mark the way we came, so we can make it back here to find the road once we get some water. Traveling on the road will be quicker and we will be less likely to get lost."

Although Skye's plan was perfectly reasonable, Jemma found herself a little more than terrified to return to the road. Clearly it wasn't safer than anywhere else in the woods after what had happened. Maybe it was actually better when they were off the road, at least they had cover under the trees. She would be lying if she said that what happened hadn't haunted her dreams the previous night.

"Skye?" Jemma asked tentatively, getting her attention after a few moments of walking in peaceful silence. "You found me on the side of the road, right?" She asked. She couldn't really remember much now. She could only imagine how scared Skye had been as well, finding her like that. It must have been horrible, not knowing whether or not she'd survived.

Skye's grip on Jemma's hand tightened, a frown making its way on to her previous adventurous face, "Technically, Apollo found you, but yes. Once I saw the carriage I…" Jemma would hear her sigh deeply, "I'm just glad I found you."

Jemma swallowed and gave Skye's hand a comforting squeeze as well. She could tell by the sound of the other girl's voice that it had been far from a pleasant experience. It hadn't been fun for her either, just remembering it sent a shiver up her spine. She wondered how she survived without a single mark when the trained guards had been killed so viciously. The only possibility that seemed realistic at all was that whatever the creature had been had enough intelligence to have a set of morals. Maybe whatever it was didn't kill innocent women.

"Did you… did you see… anything?" Jemma asked. She was a curious person, it was natural for her, but something about this was unsettling, even more than it would be to any normal person. She didn't- and probably wouldn't- tell Skye about what had happened just before everything went black. Jemma was worried there was somehow a connection with the way she felt just before. There were a few types of creatures she'd read about that could conjure ice and potentially cause that much damage, but she wasn't aware of any that could manipulate the way a person felt just before. Maybe it had just been her sixth sense letting her know that something bad was about to happen. "Do you know what attacked me?" She asked.

"Huh? No...no, I have no idea," Skye shook her head, trying to look at where she was walking and at Jemma at the same time. "When I got there, the carriage was in ruin. There was ice everywhere and all the guards were dead. It was a mess, but I didn't see what could have done it. I...I wasn't really looking to be honest. I was more worried about finding you," the brunette confessed. "I don't know what could have done something like that, but it was a miracle that you were alright. Just a shame whatever it was didn't also get Ward," She grumbled under her breath. If anyone deserved to die a cold frozen death shattered into many different pieces, it was him, or at least Skye thought so anyway.

"Oh." Jemma said quietly. She couldn't help the level of disappointment in her voice. It definitely wasn't Skye's fault, she would never even think it, but she was hoping the girl had known something. She was worried that whatever it was would come back for her. They were far from prepared for it if the creature did decide to go looking for more people to kill.

Without warning, Jemma's foot suddenly sunk into something and she yelped. Skye grabbed at her arm to help pull her back up, but Jemma knew there wasn't any immediate danger. She smiled when she realized what she'd stepped in. It was a puddle of mud.

"Do you hear that?" Jemma asked. Now that she was listening, she could hear a rushing sound in the distance. "I think that's water!" She exclaimed.

Skye's face lit up now, no longer worried over the events of the previous day. "That's great! Let's go!," She was too excited to stop and listen. She trusted Jemma's ears and the two trecked through the underbrush, Skye's boots and Apollo's hooves getting muddy as they neared. It was only a few more minutes down the hill before they left the tree line and came upon what must have been a small creek. Part of the bank was flooded now as it swelled with the rains from the night before, which caused a lot of the mud they had walked through.

Apollo was the first to the edge, walking over and leaning his large head down to drink from the running water. Skye let him be and she turned to Jemma and grabbed her up quickly, giving her a kiss on the forehead, "That head of yours is good for something I see." She grinned wide. Now they just needed something to carry it in.

"Skye, shh!" Jemma stopped the brunette's excitement and pressed one of her fingers against the other girl's lips. Slowly, she lifted her hand and pointed to the other bank. Why that hadn't seen it just a moment before, Jemma didn't know, but there it was. What was obviously a unicorn was also enjoying the fresh water on the other side of the creek about twenty meters upstream. Sure, there were all kinds of horrible things in the forest, like the thing that attacked her, but so far, all she and Skye had seen was good. Maybe it just depended on what part of the wood they were in.

The large beast lifted its head and its long, white mane shifted and strands fell away from the creature's face. Colored light from the slowly falling sun appeared to reflect off of the long horn protruding from its forehead, almost making it look like it was sparkling. It looked directly at them and snorted once. Apollo's head shot up and he whinnied back. The unicorn reared once before taking off back into the trees.

"That was amazing." Jemma whispered, awe from the sight still preventing her from speaking at a normal volume.

Skye was in just as much amazement as she watched the mysterious creature dart back into the forest. She couldn't believe they had seen an animal so rare. Jemma had taught her to read the stories, and unicorns were truly a rare and magical sight. She smiled, "The forest is not just home to monsters. It is home to beautiful things too," Skye was looking at Jemma. She wondered if the smaller girl would notice.

"Apparently so." Jemma said, still not taking her eyes off the spot the unicorn had been standing. They were very lucky to have been able to see one, it was something Jemma would never forget. When the slight shock that was left finally wore off, her brain went back into survival mode.

"Now that we have a water source, we should find a safe place nearby to sleep before it gets dark." She suggested, smiling at Skye before turning around to look, though she wouldn't go far without the other girl by her side.


End file.
